One of the most overwhelming parts of wedding planning can be creating your timeline for the day. There’s so much more to think about than what time your ceremony starts. Do you want photos of getting ready? Are you doing a first look? What about a grand exit and do you want photos of it? Those are just a few of the many things to consider. 

This blog post has 3 example wedding timelines from real weddings I photographed this year! I share the timeline for the day and what I liked about each one. You’ll see timeline examples for 6, 8, and 10 hours of wedding photography coverage. 

6 Hour Wedding Timeline Example

This 6 hour wedding timeline does NOT include getting ready coverage, first look, or the exit. This timeline starts with the ceremony. 

• 4:00 Ceremony 
• 4:45 Family Portraits
• 5:00 Wedding Party Portraits
• 5:30 Couple Portraits
• 5:45 Travel to Reception Location
• 6:00 Cocktail Hour
• 7:00 Reception Grand Entrance
  • Straight into First Dance
  • Parent Dances
• 7:30 Sunset Portraits
• 7:45 Dinner
• 8:30 Reception Events
  • Speeches
  • Cake Cutting
• 9:00 Open Dance
• 10:00 End Photo Coverage

What I like about this 6 hour timeline:

Since there was no first look (which gives you more portrait time before the ceremony), we made the most out of the time we had after the ceremony to do photos of the couple. We took photos around the ceremony location which was a beautiful church. Then we snuck away during sunset for a few minutes while dinner was being set out. Even without a first look, I loved the variety of portraits we were able to get this day!

If photos of getting ready and/or doing a first look is important to you, then you’ll likely need the 8 or 10 hour timelines below.

8 Hour Wedding Timeline Example

This 8 hour wedding timeline includes a first look, two locations (ceremony & reception), and a faux grand exit. 

• 12:00 Photography Begins
• 1:00 First Look & Portraits
• 1:30 Wedding Party Portraits
• 2:00 Travel time to Ceremony Location
• 2:45 Wedding Party Lined Up
• 3:00 Ceremony
• 3:45 Family Portraits
• 4:15 Travel time to Reception Location
• 5:00 Cocktail Hour
  • Reception Room Reveal
  • Private First Dance
  • Mingling w/ Guests
• 6:00 Reception Grand Entrance
  • Straight into First Dance
• Dinner
• 7:00 Reception Events
  • Speeches
  • Cake Cutting
  • Flower Toss
• 7:20 Cake cutting
• 7:45 Faux Sparkler Exit
• 8:00 End Photo Coverage

What I like about this 8 hour timeline: 

We fit lots of things into this 8 hour wedding day! We did a first look and wedding party portraits before the ceremony. After the ceremony, we did family portraits and then everyone traveled to a different venue for the reception. 

Their reception ended after photography coverage, but they still wanted to do an exit. My suggestion was to do a “fake” sparkler exit right before their photography ended! If you love a sparkler exit moment but it’s not in your budget to keep your photographer through the entire reception, this is a great option!

10 Hour Wedding Timeline Example

This wedding timeline includes getting ready, first look, and full reception coverage. This is the best wedding timeline if you want everything covered from start to finish without your day feeling jam packed.

• 11:30 Photography Begins With Detail Shots
• 12:30 Getting Ready
• 2:00 First Look with Dad
• 2:30 First Look + Couple Portraits
• 3:00 Wedding Party Portraits
• 3:30 Family Portraits
• 4:15 Couple Relax Before Ceremony
• 4:30 Ceremony
• 5:00 Cocktail Hour
  • Couples Portraits
  • Room Reveal
• 6:00 Reception Grand Entrance
  • Straight into First Dance
• 6:15 Dinner
• 7:00 Reception Events
  • Cake Cutting
  • Newlywed Shoe Game
  • Parent Dances
• 8:00 Open Dance
• 9:15 Private Last Dance
• 9:30 Grand Exit

What I like about this 10 hour timeline: 

Photography was very important to this couple, so there was PLENTY of photography time built into their timeline. If you want photos of all the main parts of your wedding day from getting ready through your reception, then the 10 hour wedding timeline will be the best option! 

While their wedding party started to get ready, I took detail photos of all of their special items for the day. Having time set aside exclusively for details gives your photographer time to get creative! 

I also love that they scheduled a few minutes of alone time before their ceremony to get mentally ready and relaxed before the ceremony.

Because there was 10 hours of photography coverage, we had more flexibility and a little more breathing room!

How to Build Your Own Wedding Timeline

If you’re not sure what amount of wedding coverage is right for your wedding day, this is where a conversation with your wedding photographer and wedding planner would be helpful. These example timelines are a great place to start to get inspiration for what to consider with your own timeline. As a photographer, I love helping my couples build a wedding timeline that fits their day and their priorities with photos! 

For more wedding timeline tips, check out the following blog for 3 things to consider when building your wedding timeline! 

Las Vegas Wedding Photography 

I’m a wedding photographer in Las Vegas and would love to be a part of your dream day! Head to my contact page to get in touch!